Meet Ben Hartranft today, and you would never imagine that this friendly, enthusiastic 19-year-old didn't speak until age 3. As a toddler, Ben's mom, Sandy, recalls Ben's struggle to  string two words together. His vocabulary was limited to 20 nouns. Ben would throw "huge temper tantrums" in frustration, she remembers.

 

With intensive speech and occupational therapy, Ben learned to express himself, and his temper tantrums dwindled. He has faced every challenge with enthusiasm ever since. The Hartranfts say learning what motivated Ben was their first challenge. Keeping him safe without dampening his spirit is ongoing. "Ben had no fear as a little boy and would run into traffic if something across the street caught his eye," Sandy remembers. Now that he's older, Ben pursues goals with the same single-minded abandon."

 

Today, Ben has not only been named Prom King at his high school, but works part-time at Olive Garden and Dorney Park while going to school. Ben considers his most important role as an "ambassador" for autism. Through participation in research, public speaking, media interviews, volunteer work and raising money for his Eagles Autism Challenge team , Ben is pursuing his passion for helping others to understand autism. "It's important to help those growing up after me," he says.

Today, we welcome Ben as a guest blogger to share his experience about his first independent plane ride, in his own words.